Sgt. Thomas MacPherson remembered with roadway a decade after killed in Afghanistan

Rarely seen without his Ray-Ban sunglasses and cutoff shorts, Thomas “Tommy” MacPherson was the quintessential laid back, Southern California kid.

That’s however Didi MacPherson described her son, a U.S. Army Ranger sergeant who was 26 erstwhile helium was killed during a dense firefight successful Afghanistan’s Ghazni Province connected Oct. 12, 2012.

MacPherson was connected his 4th deployment to Afghanistan erstwhile helium died; helium had besides served 1 deployment to Iraq.

A ceremonial Tuesday connected the beforehand tract of Los Alamitos High School, MacPherson’s alma mater, marked the designation of the adjacent interchange of the 605 Freeway astatine Katella Avenue arsenic the “US Army Ranger Sgt. Thomas R. MacPherson Memorial Highway.”

Didi MacPherson, parent of fallen US Army Ranger Thomas R. MacPherson, poses for a photograph during a ceremonial connected Los Alamitos High School connected Oct. 12, 2021, designating the interchange astatine the 605 Freeway and Katella Avenue arsenic the US Army Ranger Sgt. Thomas R. MacPherson Memorial Highway. (Courtesy of Lou Ponsi)

“Even though it’s been 9 years, you inactive grieve and person that loss,” Didi MacPherson said. “But it’s precise honoring and I’m truthful appreciative of conscionable contiguous and each these people. I had nary thought what to expect.”

Among the dozens connected manus for the ceremony, which was held connected the ninth day of MacPherson’s death, were besides his sister and member and their families, on with firefighters, constabulary officers and section and authorities officials.

“This is valor,” said authorities Sen. Bob Archuleta, who wrote the measure designating the intersection successful MacPherson’s honor. “This is bravery. This is supra and beyond the telephone of duty. This is sacrificing himself for everyone else.”

The designation was besides spearheaded successful portion by the Orange County nonprofit, Honoring Our Fallen, which provides a assortment of services to household members of fallen subject personnel.

Didi MacPherson endearingly described her lad arsenic “just a brainsick small kid,” who “marched to his ain drum.”

“He ever had those Ray-Bans on, adjacent erstwhile helium was walking successful my daughter’s wedding,” she said. “He benignant of had that small chill origin astir him.”

MacPherson enlisted successful the Army successful 2007 and completed his grooming astatine Fort Benning, Ga., arsenic an infantryman. He past went into the Ranger program.

MacPherson had been a squad person assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment astatine Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

He received galore commendations during his work and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service medals and the Purple Heart.

When MacPherson was killed, helium near down a wife, Claudia, and their past 17-month-old son, Brayden Thomas, who is present 10.

Claudia and Brayden unrecorded successful Washington and were incapable to be Tuesday’s ceremony.

“I got to person him for 26 years and I convey God that I had him for 26 years due to the fact that I got to ticker this brainsick kid turn into a fantastic young man,” Didi MacPherson said. “He got joined and a had a child, became respected astatine his work, and I’m reasoning what other could a ma inquire for. Of course, 50 much years would person been nice, but for what I got, I got a lot. I’m blessed successful that way.”